


Trouble in Paradise

by JennaLee



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bottom!Rhett, M/M, Oral Sex, Sexual Harassment, Smut, Strong Language, Violence, handsfree
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-05 18:55:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5386742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JennaLee/pseuds/JennaLee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things aren't always idyllic when you've been together for as many years as Rhett and Link. A date night turns into disaster when Link's temper gets the best of him. But neither man can stay angry for too long...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

The evening began wonderfully.

Dim golden-orange lighting, soft music, the hum of relaxed and happy chatter. Wonderful smells filled the air, garlic and spices and fresh bread and cooking meat. Holding onto Rhett’s hand as their hostess led them to a booth near the window, across from the bar, Link felt a tug of nostalgia; it felt almost like he was back in his late teen years, exploring the world of dating beyond hanging out at classmates’ houses. At an age when more than few of his friends were lamenting the spark they once had with their spouse, Link was somehow lucky enough to have two people in his life that could still give him butterflies and that swooping feeling in his stomach.

The two of them were on a date. It wasn’t anything fancy. They chose a bar and grille that served a few classier options but was best known for their pasta dishes and all-you-can-eat garlic bread. Link wore nice crisp new jeans and a black cardigan over a grey tee. Rhett was casual but handsome in the deep red sweater he’d gotten for his birthday. Link thought the colour gave the man a rather sensual aura that he liked quite a lot. Rhett had been wearing it often after Link proved unable to keep his eyes off of him the first time he’d tried it on. 

Link brushed against Rhett softly as he slipped into the booth beside the taller man instead of across from him, like how most couples were seated. Rhett’s thighs spread out a little wider to close the gap between them and Link felt his foot nudge against his own. It was the closest they came to flirting in public, knowing they had achieved minor celebrity status and had to be careful of what people might see. It was amazing what Rhett could do to him with the slightest touch and a quick, intense look of desire. Immediately, Link’s palms began to sweat as his heart picked up speed. 

He laid his hand over top of Rhett’s and locked their fingers together briefly. When he caught Rhett’s eye, the man winked at him. 

The approaching server might have seen the exchange, because after greeting them and introducing herself, she smiled and asked if they were celebrating a special occasion. 

Rhett gave her an easy smile. “We’re just having a night out. Dinner and a movie.”

“Classic,” she cooed. “Can I get you some drinks to get started?”

Rhett opted for iced tea, it being his turn to drive, so Link chose a light beer. The server was back in minutes with their drinks in big old-fashioned frosted glasses. The foam rose to the top of his glass and Link stuck his mouth over the rim to slurp it away before taking a drink. The ice-cold fizziness felt bright and lively on his tongue and he drank half of his glass quickly. He’d been parched. 

As he bent over his glass, Rhett ordered them appetizers. He knew Link well enough to order for them both without asking.

The server disappeared into the crowd, weaving expertly, her blonde ponytail bouncing at the nape of her neck. She dodged a co-worker carrying a steaming tray of something that smelled so good it made Link’s stomach rumble. 

Link clinked his glass down and looked at his partner. “Do I have foam on my face?”

Rhett gave him a devilish grin. “I don’t know. Let me check.” He glanced back and forth to be sure nobody was staring, and then leaned forward to kiss Link lightly on the mouth.

“You’re a cheese ball.” Link could feel himself blushing.

“You like it. You do have something on your chin, though. Big streak of foam. Everyone’s looking at you funny. Looks like a bit of spit-up.”

Link spluttered and flapped his sleeve at his face, but Rhett grabbed his wrist to hold it still so he could kiss Link’s chin too. At the last second before his lips made contact, his wet tongue poked out and licked him there instead.

“Gross, dude!” Link was giggling too hard to sound annoyed. He wiped the wetness away with his napkin. “Was there even anything there or were you just tryin’ to fool me?”

“Yep. I never lie to you.” Rhett blinked his wide eyes innocently but his smirk told the real story.

“I think I spilled some down my pants, d’you wanna run home before the movie so you can get that cleaned up too?”

Rhett made a face. “Always the one to make it weird, Link.”

“You like it,” Link imitated Rhett’s voice, and giggled again.

“I do,” Rhett answered, softly. The giggles faded and Link slid an arm around Rhett’s waist. They were sitting so close that they were almost on top of each other. “When we get home…”

“Mmm, I get a late dessert?”

“If you behave,” Rhett responded coyly.

Link had to take another drink to cover up the obvious desire on his face. When he set his glass down, he forced himself to appear composed. Rhett’s face was all innocence save for the cheeky spark in his eyes.

“So, did we decide on _Creed_?” Rhett eventually asked, flipping through movie times on his phone.

“It’s the only good thing in theatres.”

“It just opened; it’ll be packed.” Rhett nibbled at the slice of lemon on his glass and twisted his face at the sour punch. A citrus aroma filled the air.

Link grinned and bumped his foot against Rhett’s. “Mmm. No privacy.”

Rhett rolled his eyes in a friendly way. “I didn’t mean _that,_ you big perv. Just that I want good seats.”

“We could see _Spectre_ , it’s been out for a while. Check Rotten Tomatoes. Is it good?”

Rhett checked. “It’s not as good as _Creed._ Sixty-four percent.”

Link craned his neck to read some of the critics’ comments. “And Creed’s got what, a ninety-something? James Bond, though. It can’t be bad.”

“Good point. They say here it’s formulaic, like that’s a bad thing. Its James Bond, of course it’s gonna follow a pattern. When I go to the theatre to see James Bond, I know what I want and I know what I’m gonna get.”

“Exactly!” Link nodded emphatically. 

“My stomach’s rumbling. Is that – is that our food comin’?” Rhett’s eyes lit up and he straightened up to his full height to peer at the far wall, where their server was coming out of the kitchen with a tray.

“You look like Jade does when I say the word ‘walk’,” Link grinned at him.

“Arf, arf,” Rhett obligingly barked, quietly so that nobody would stare. “Link, she’s coming this way. With so much food. Oh man. My body is so ready for this.”

Their server rounded the corner and passed the bar, casting a careful sideways glance at a rowdy group of middle-aged men watching the big screen television. All they had on this early in the evening was hockey, which interested precious few Angelenos, and wrestling, closer to the bar area. Two dudes the size of bulls in tiny bright-coloured Spandex shorts. The men might be drunk already, judging by their volume and bellowing laughter. _At least we’re far enough away so that the noise doesn’t bother us too much._ Link wondered why those sitting close to the rowdy men didn’t ask to be re-seated.

The cheerful blonde server carried a tray laded with cheesy garlic bread, mozzarella sticks, and marinara dip. She smiled when she caught Link’s eye and he smiled back. Link wriggled slightly to the right when she approached, aware of how physical he was getting with Rhett in public. Beneath the table, their feet and lower legs stayed pressed together.

“Enjoy your meal,” she said brightly as she plunked down the tray. “Are you still looking at the menu?”

“Oh, yeah,” Rhett burst out, and Link laughed at him. He reddened. 

The server seemed pleased by Rhett’s blush. A lot of people were charmed by the big man. Such a large person behaving in such a cute way just made people want to love him. “Let me know when you’re ready for more, okay?”

Rhett thanked her as Link greedily tugged the entire plate in front of him and chose the cheesiest-looking piece. Both men ignored the extra plates and ate off the same one, occasionally fighting over which piece was the cheesiest or biggest. Link usually won because Rhett let him win.

“The movies,” Link picked up the thread of their conversation again. 

“What about ‘em? You make up your mind yet?” Rhett hesitated over the biggest, softest piece of garlic bread, and handed it to Link, who beamed.

“Nah. Check the times for both, see if one’s more convenient.” The garlic bread was delicious. Link stuffed a whole half of a piece into his mouth greedily, careful to avoid his sharp canines. The silky inside of his cheek was already marked by a painful cut from biting into it accidentally that morning.

“ _Spectre_ at nine fifteen, _Creed_ at nine thirty. Ten thirty and ten thirty-five, but those seem a bit too late.”

“Dang, that doesn’t make it any easier. They’re both good.”

Rhett tried dipping the garlic bread in marinara and sprinkling it with more Parmesan. He made a noise of approval, and Link copied his technique. For a few minutes the men were silent as they ate their way through the food. Link hadn’t realized how hungry he was. Probably because of how good Rhett looked in that sweater.

“I might just order more garlic bread, to be honest,” Rhett told him. “Did you still want to split an entrée, or…”

Link, his mouth full, tapped a picture on the menu. “Mmmf.”

“Dessert, huh?” Rhett took a closer look. “Peanut butter cheesecake? ‘Sweet and salty, with a crust of crushed pretzels, laden with decadent chocolate chips and topped with crushed nuts.’”

“Mmmmmmm,” Link nodded vigorously as he kept chewing. He waggled his eyebrows up and down.

“That does sound good, man. A pretzel crust? I could go for that pretzel crust.”

Link finally swallowed. “I could go for that peanut butter.”

Rhett laughed and tapped Link’s thigh. “Oh, I know. Hey, that iced tea went right through me. Let me up, I gotta go to the can, alright? If the server comes back, order me a piece of that cake too.”

“Okay,” he replied absentmindedly, dipping a mozzarella stick in his little cup of marinara sauce before standing up. He bounced his teeth lightly on its breaded surface to make sure it wasn’t too hot. Rhett squeezed his shoulder as he passed. Link sat back down and took out his phone to check his messages, and put it back in his pocket. When Rhett didn’t appear, he took it out again and put it on the table to mindlessly toy with some gaming apps. He tapped his foot, glanced all around him, watched the closest television for a while, and looked back at his phone. After a few half-hearted tries at the trivia game, he began to wonder why Rhett was talking so long. 

Link glanced up and took a moment to adjust to the relative darkness. The stained-glass lights hanging over the table made everything else look dim. There was a large group of young couples near the bar, young enough to be students just past drinking age, hanging back and talking to each other and pointing to the menu as the harassed-looking bartender hurried back and forth, trying to find who was actually ready to order. He couldn’t see the hallway Rhett had walked down. It took a few minutes for the confusion to clear but finally the crowd parted and Link saw Rhett’s tall frame, standing near the bar. Link took another mozzarella stick and lost himself in the buzz of the crowd, waiting for Rhett to return.

Another few minutes. Maybe Rhett was ordering Link another beer from the bar so he wouldn’t bother the busy blonde server. Link kept his eyes on the spot where he’d last seen the big man. Finally, a gaggle of girls moved aside and Link saw that Rhett was apparently deep in conversation with another man at the bar. It was one of the rowdy guys barking laughter and watching the irrelevant game on the TV.

Link’s brow furrowed. _Does he know him?_ The guy was wide-shouldered and heavy through the chest, bulky in the stomach. Big beer belly. He was wearing a dark blue athletic jacket and his hair was brown streaked with grey. He was leaning close to Rhett now, probably to make himself heard over the noise. When he reached an arm out, Rhett took a step back and Link’s limbs tensed. Rhett’s smile had gone tight and Link could read his body language. Tense. Nervous? No – just pissed off. 

The other man was harder to read, especially with the long shadows cast over his face by the grungy reddish bar lighting. One of his buddies was looking angry, though most were smiling. Another guy at the booth leaned forward to say something and Link could see Rhett’s face scrunch briefly with rage. He said something in return that made the smiles on those around him die.

 _What in the world is going on?_ Link wondered if he should interfere, but he knew it was entirely possible that he was overreacting. He might be totally misreading the situation. He did have a tendency to assume the worst.

Ice formed in the pit of Link’s stomach when the older guy, the main one, stood up with his arms spread out in a gesture of apology. _Hey, no big deal, let’s all be friends._ Rhett took another step back. The man gestured to the menu and took out his wallet, pointing to the empty bar stool right next to him. Rhett shook his head and turned to go. The man gestured again and pulled a few bills from his wallet. His posture was relaxed and open, overly friendly. Too friendly. Rhett scowled, shook his head again. The man put a hand on Rhett’s arm, smiling, patting Rhett like a dog that’s done a trick, _yeah there’s a good boy, it’s okay boy, good puppy, easy now,_ and Link felt murderous. 

Rhett tried to take his arm back and the guy yanked him forward instead, turning Rhett into the corner and putting his hands on Rhett’s hips instead. It happened so fast that it took a minute for Link to absorb what he was seeing. Rhett was clearly surprised too; for a few seconds, he didn’t resist, just stood shocked as the stranger touched him. He slid those wandering hands up to where Rhett’s waistband ended, to the hot bare skin beneath his red sweater. Rhett twisted in his grasp and the guy held on, still laughing as if the whole thing was a big joke. Rhett put a long arm on the guy’s chest and shoved him off, loosening the man’s grip, but he just came right back.

The man in the dark blue jacket put his mouth to Rhett’s ear – almost kissing it, Link thought with a bright flare of rage – and whispered something that made Rhett look at the floor, his jaw working as he fought to keep calm.

Finally Rhett began to stalk off, his expression carefully neutral. The man hollered after him. _Is anyone else seeing this? Why doesn’t anybody care?_ The servers continued to walk briskly to and fro, laden with plates; the TVs were on, blasting sports highlights and ongoing games; the bartender was pouring foamy cheap beer into pitchers for a party of twelve that had just come in. The main guy, the one who could not keep his hands to himself, began to follow the tall man.

Link didn’t think. Before he knew it he was on his feet and moving forward quickly, slithering through the tables to approach the men from the side. Nobody seemed to be looking, nobody seemed to have heard. The servers continued to walk briskly to and fro, laden with plates; the TVs were on, blasting sports highlights and ongoing games; the bartender was pouring foamy ale into pitchers for a party of twelve that had just come in. Link’s head felt curiously floaty and his vision had sharpened. He caught a flash of his reflection in the sheen of a black glass barrier separating the nicer private booths and was startled to see himself looking downright scary.

His eyes were blazing. His hands were balled into fists. He was almost running down the aisle. If the patrons he passed hadn’t been so concerned with their phones, it would have been obvious what Link was about to do.

If he’d had time to step back and think, Link might have been scared. He wasn’t a fighter, and there might have been about nine people who looked to be friends with Mr. Handsy. But all he could think about was Rhett, heading back to their booth, as the stranger trailed behind. The stranger who would not let Rhett’s arm go, who pressed his mouth to Rhett’s ear to whisper something that upset the tall man.

Nobody was allowed to do that to Rhett. The thought of someone threatening his gentle giant was absurd. Most people were intimidated by his height, even if they could somehow look at that charming handsome face and not want to act friendly. But it had happened, and Rhett was outnumbered, and so Link would have to step in. _That’s my man you touched. My best friend._

“Hey,” he yelled over the ruckus as he caught up to the big beer-bellied creep. Nobody turned to look at him. So he turned up the volume. “HEY!”

Finally, the man stopped. He hadn’t gotten far. He turned and smiled wide with teeth that were white, too big and too square. Big blunt ugly cow teeth that looked artificially bleached. Maybe dentures. _Probably_ dentures. The gut and the reddish bloom on his nose suggested that he didn’t exactly make self-care a priority. The friendly crinkling of his dark eyes was not comforting. All surface shine, like he was sweeping his uglier feelings beneath the cupboards to put on a show for company. The pupils glittered like spit on the sidewalk. 

“Oh, hey!” he beamed. “Do I know you?” He gave Link a quick once-over and his smile got bigger. “If I don’t, I’d sure like to.”

Link’s rage boiled over, hissing and steaming. The edges of his vision went red. “No, you don’t know me. And you don’t know _him_ either.” He nodded at Rhett, who had started to turn back in confusion at the sight of the empty table with all of Link’s belongings still on the booth’s bench. “What were you _thinkin’_? What were you doing to him? Why were you following him?”

“It’s a free country,” somebody said. One of the guy’s friends had swivelled in his stool to watch.

“Yeah,” the main asshole agreed, his Colgate grin fading. One of his eyebrows was crooked, giving him a permanent wise-guy look like he thought the whole world was a joke. The fake teeth and abundance of grey smoked through his acorn-coloured hair was misleading; he might have been Link’s age. “I’m not allowed to have a conversation with somebody? What’s it to you? You jealous?”

“I didn’t see you _having a conversation_ ,” Link spit back. “I saw you putting your filthy _hands_ on my _boyfriend_ when he didn’t want them there.”

“Got your pup on a short leash, huh? He’s not allowed to talk to other men, is that it?”

“He’s allowed to do whatever the fuck he wants. And he wanted to leave. You assaulted him. And then you were gonna follow him.”

“Oh, come on, don’t be so dramatic. Assault, hell. Nothing happened. And I was just going to the bathroom. Who says I was following anybody?”

“I was watching you!”

“You were wrong, then.” The guy shrugged. “Whaddaya want me to do about it?”

“Keep your hands to yourself,” Link countered. “And apologize.”

Rhett was flushed red as he returned to the scene and stood beside Link. “Hey,” he said. “Hey, come sit down, don’t worry.”

“Apologize,” snarled Link, ignoring Rhett. He could feel his lip curling. “Or else.”

“Or else what? I’m sorry your boyfriend is a fucking snob, and I’m sorry for him that you’re an interfering little asshole who needs to learn how to mind his own business. How’s that?”

Link’s vision grew even sharper. His entire being was focused upon this one man. His hands, at his sides, clenched into fists. “Don’t ever, ever touch him again. Don’t ever talk to him. Don’t even _look_ at him. You hear me? You’re not good enough to even be in his presence.”

“Link.” Rhett’s voice was quiet. “Come on, babe.” When he was emotional, his accent grew stronger. “It’s okay, really. He’s just a jerk. We’ll tell somebody who works here what he did, okay? Come sit down and lets get that cheesecake.”

Link cast his partner a quick glance and dismissed his words again. “I’m not leaving.”

Some of the guy’s friends were looking interested now. They sipped their drinks like they were watching more television.

“Take his advice. You wanna go sit down,” the man said. He did not look happy. Warning bells went off in Link’s head, but the sheer force of his temper muffled them. “You wanna get the hell out of here and take your snob with you. Okay? Don’t start something you can’t finish.”

“I said I’m not going anywhere until you apologize.”

“Link…” Rhett was pleading now, and he used his height to scan the crowd for someone of authority, someone to come break this up. “Don’t do this, baby, please, calm down, leave them alone. Everyone’s looking, they’re gonna call the cops. Link, please.” 

Link, registering only the fear in Rhett’s voice, stepped in front of the tall man protectively and squared his shoulders. “Did you hear me? Say you’re sorry for turning your pig eyes on this man.”

The man looked unfazed. “To hell with that. What do I care if some ugly arrogant redneck gets all huffy over being asked to have a drink or two? I was just being nice. I can do better than _that_ anyway.” The man jerked his head toward Rhett. “He should feel lucky that anyone looked twice in his direction. He was being a tease, you know. He wanted it, I could tell, he only stopped me because you were here. I was wonderin’ why he was frigid. He must’ve seen you looking.”

“Liar!” Link almost screamed at him, the volume less dramatic as some team scored a goal and the crowd erupted in cheers. Link’s gut was churning, and blind white hatred was clouding his thoughts. _How dare you? How dare you talk down to him?_ He was almost snarling like a dog.

“You always this pissy? No wonder he’s so scared of you. You’re a fucking nutjob, man.”

Link looked to Rhett, who’s face was closed, the insults seeming to bounce right off of him, but Link wasn’t so lucky. The man’s words were like tiny hot knives stabbing him all over, making his body feel very hot and clenched hard like a fist.

The guy went on. “If you’re such a hothead, you should belt some manners into him, tell him not to act like a whiny little bitch when someone tries to be friendly.”

“You – you – I’m gonna – ” Link’s mouth opened and closed. A high pitched buzzing noise was filling his ears.

Rhett laid a hand on Link’s back urgently, murmuring in his ear through the strong thumping of Link’s heart, saying the same things over and over, _don’t worry babe, don’t worry, stop this, please stop –_

“You’re a pathetic excuse for a human being,” Link hissed, and Rhett tugged at his bicep, cutting off what he was going to say next.

The man’s face turned cold. “Look, buddy, get out of here before you get hurt. Go outside and cool off. I’ll keep your man company while you’re gone. I’ll take him off your hands for you for good, if you want. My buddies and I will take him home safe with us and take real good care of him.” At that, he smirked.

The sound came first, a sort of crunching noise. Pain exploded through Link’s hand. Then his vision caught up with the rest of his senses and the man was reeling backward and falling against the bar, one hand going to his face. A stool tottered and fell with a crash. Someone screamed. Someone else dropped their pitcher with a tinkle. Beer splashed across the floor and foamed at Link’s feet. The bartender was gaping, an open bottle of Cointreau clutched sideways in his hand and overflowing the glass it was pouring into.

“You – fucking – bastard!” the man gasped. His nose was bleeding. Link waited for the light-headedness at the sight of blood, but only felt a sickening sense of accomplishment. But now the man’s friends were getting up, and some of them were coming for Link. In his moment of adrenaline, Link was unable to feel scared. A general shoving-match ensued in the vicinity in the bar as gawkers fought to see while others scattered to avoid being caught in the fight. Luckily, the man’s friends seemed more interested in getting a good view than jumping in the fight themselves. Just when Link relaxed, the stranger pulled himself up and caught Link hard in the sternum with a short, weak punch. He had no time to get his arm up right or throw his weight into the blow. Even so, Link doubled over, winded.

“Link!” Rhett cried out with real fear, trying to get between the two men. One of the guy’s buddies shouldered him aside and it was just Link and the man, who had crimson blood trickling from his nose to his mouth in a thin line. He was in a better position now, His fist came up and Link braced himself, arms up like a boxer. 

But for all his tough talk, the guy didn’t throw his punch right, or maybe it was the booze. He swung for Link’s head and Link ducked to the side, a millisecond too late. The fist grazed his ear and the other man overbalanced and lost his footing, too slow to get his second hand up in time for a punch. He shoved at Link’s shoulder with the heel of his hand instead, knocking Link backward with force.

A new voice: “What in the world? Stop this, stop this right now!”

Link didn’t hear. He jabbed out again, not as hard, and got the guy in the soft fleshy throat. 

A sick hacking noise erupted from the man’s lips and he went down fast. On the way to the floor he smashed his mouth off the fallen stool. He got back up to his knees, but no further. The colour in his face was fading and he kept gagging and coughing hard enough to glaze his eyes over. Link watched with a sick satisfaction as the guy ran his tongue over his teeth, feeling for loose ones. Those too-perfect white teeth were pink with blood now.

“Link, for god’s sake, what are you doing?!” Rhett’s voice was faint in Link’s ears over the sound of his heart.

Someone grabbed Link’s arm, but it wasn’t Rhett. There was a body between him and the other man. A very huge, very solid body.

“Sirs. You need to leave. All of you.” The restaurant manager, or someone of authority. White button-down shirt and clean long black hair. Her eyes clearly conveyed her no-bullshit attitude. Behind her was one of the security guards, big and burly with tattoos visible on his wrists at the end of his sleeves. The man holding Link’s arm was wearing the same uniform shirt. He was approximately the size of a baby elephant. Link felt like the bouncer could pick him up and throw him across the restaurant.

“Wait, hold on,” Rhett broke in raggedly. “We’re gonna leave, just hold on. These men were harassing me, ma’am. Verbally and physically. My partner was defending me. I’m sorry this happened in your restaurant, but you might want to re-consider serving these men here. They’re going to keep causing problems.”

The manager eyed them coldly, but the look she gave the wheezing man on the floor could have curdled milk. “I know. That’s why our security isn’t going to hold you here ‘till the cops come. We’ve had a number of complaints about this one. He’s a regular.”

The bleeding man looked sullen. “I got a right to free speech. I didn’t attack anyone. He started it. I’m allowed to hit back.”

“Be quiet and get out. You’re lucky I’m not calling the cops on any of you.”

Link’s head was filling with white noise. Things were moving so quickly now. Rhett’s voice, forcibly calm. Handing over a wad of money far bigger than needed to cover their measly appetizers and drinks. The security guard’s cold soapy smell as he stood in front of Link with a wide-legged threatening stance. Rhett was talking in a thin shaky voice that was not like him at all, explaining again, apologizing. A couple witnesses were agreeing. The man was holding a paper towel to his nose. Link was being yanked to the door, suddenly aware of all the eyes on him and all the hushed conversation. Some people were looking at him with mild disgust or fear. Others were grinning like it was a joke.

“Don’t even think about coming back,” said the security guard. “You’re banned for life, buddy.”

“We’re so sorry,” Rhett said again. 

Link was shaking all over and his fist had gone numb. It hurt a little to breathe but he didn’t know if it was from the punch or just from anxiety. He didn’t move. The noise of the spectators and security guards seemed to be coming from some far away place like a tinny TV left on upstairs. Rhett’s face was carefully guarded as he took Link by the elbow and led him outside and to the car. Neither man spoke. Link got into the passenger seat. Rhett sat down a minute later and turned the car on. 

**

They drove in silence for some time, through the dark streets, past a nice area of downtown with up-lit palms and early Christmas decorations in front of the buildings. It began to rain. The noise pattering on the roof felt comforting.

Slowly, Link came back to himself. “Oh, gosh. Oh wow,” was all he could say. He took a deep breath. “That was intense. I’ve never been in a real fight before. I didn’t know it was so easy to punch somebody.” He winced. “My shoulder kinda hurts. Lucky he hit the one that’s not hurt already. I’m gonna have some bruises tomorrow.”

Rhett didn’t say anything. 

_Probably just freaked out by what that guy said to him,_ Link decided. He reached across the seat to lay a hand on Rhett’s thigh comfortingly but the flesh went rigid and Link pulled back, knowing that Rhett wasn’t in the mood for physical attention. He rarely was while dealing with intense emotions. Link, on the other hand, felt like he could use a few hugs and kisses. _He’ll give me attention later, when we’re home,_ Link reassured himself, but still felt a cold jolt of rejection.

Link chewed at a knuckle restlessly and looked out the rain-dappled window at the endless mass of city lights sparkling in the darkness. His ear hurt, and his hand hurt, and so did his shoulder and sternum. There was a rolling nausea in his belly that had nothing to do with his physical injuries. The sickness battled with the adrenaline still pumping through his body, making him feel as if he’d just chugged a Red Bull followed by three shots of espresso and it was all about to come back up – violently. Trembling with energy yet unable to move without barfing. He swallowed hard and forced it back with a hand to his mouth.

Suddenly he tasted salt and realized that his knuckle was bleeding from being grazed against his own sharp tooth. Running high on endorphins had blinded him to minor pain. Link held his other hand over the knuckle to hide the sight of blood.

“I can’t believe this.” Rhett finally broke the silence, his green eyes fixed firmly on the road in front of them. “Tonight was messed up, man.”

“I know. My goodness. That guy was such a – ”

“I can’t believe you did that. In a restaurant.” Rhett’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “God, Link, what is wrong with you?”

Link turned to look at him, shocked. “Excuse me?”

“Getting into a fistfight? Really? You could have been arrested. We both could have been arrested. Or sued. Jesus Christ, Link.”

Link’s posture went rigid and he turned his whole upper body to face the taller man. “Are you bein’ serious right now? I was defending you!”

“I didn’t need defending, Link. I told you to just come sit down. We were having a good time. I didn’t want those men to spoil it.”

“He touched you! He insulted you!”

“So? Who cares what they say? They don’t matter.”

“I care!”

“You have no right to ignore what I want and decide for yourself how to react to situations that involve _me_.”

“I don’t have the _right_ to try and stop you getting hurt?”

“You have to stop doing that,” Rhett sighed.

“Stop doing what? Protecting you?”

“You know.” Rhett pulled to a stop as a yellow light turned red. “Being…confrontational like you are all the time.”

“I’m not confrontational.”

“Right.” Rhett sighed loudly again. “Then what do you call what just happened?”

Link couldn’t believe his ears. “Are you honestly mad at me for sticking up for you?” 

“I had it under control, Link. There was no need to fly off the handle like that. I understand why you were pissed off – I was too, trust me – but that is _not_ how you solve problems.”

“Fly off the…” Link shook his head, incredulous. “It’s not like I was looking for a fight. They were insulting you!”

“I’m nearly forty years old. I can handle a few immature comments from some jackasses at a restaurant without losing my cool.”

Link’s fingers squeaked on the leather seat as he gripped it tightly. The adrenaline rush from the scene hadn’t quite left him yet and he found himself trembling with pent-up energy. “I couldn’t let them talk to you like that. And he touched you. I saw it.”

“I was going to ask our server to tell security about that.”

“What if he’d tried to hit you? Or worse?”

“I’d have called for help and held him off or defended myself if necessary.” 

“That’s not – you shouldn’t have to – ” He could barely form complete sentences.

“You should’ve let me handle it. I told you to stop. You completely ignored me.”

“You expect me to just stand there while you’re in danger?”

“No, but I do expect you to act your age and remember that we are a brand. A business. What we do in public affects our careers. You don’t think people took their phones out to film that? And what would happen if you got charged with assault?”

“I don’t understand why you’re so calm about this!”

“Link, what if you’d been arrested?”

“I don’t know.”

“And if the story spread and our employees and audience heard about it?”

“I’d tell the truth and say that we were defendin’ ourselves! God, Rhett, sometimes you are so – ”

“Okay, stop right there. Link, I’m not going to argue with you if you just want to yell at me. I said my piece. I just feel a little angry, but I’ll get over it, okay? We’ll talk about it later when you’re – ”

“You _are_ arguing! And being condescending! I’m not the one that started this!”

“Can you not interrupt me while I’m – ”

“I care about you, okay?” Link shouted, aware that raising his voice was only guaranteed to make things worse but unable to stop himself. “Most people would be grateful! Why the hell can’t you just say thank you?”

“I am grateful that you care about me, Link.” A hard edge to his voice now. Link disliked the careful wording, the way Rhett was talking to him slowly and clearly like he was some lunatic that might _fly off the handle_ again.

“You want me to just smile and look the other way while some guy tries to grope you? That’s messed up!”

“I don’t want to tell you how to feel. But you can’t just go throwing punches in public like that. And if you’re angry, be angry, but you don’t have to be angry _for_ me. I can take care of myself. You’re basically telling me that _my_ reaction was wrong and that you have to respond for me, and that I should be grateful. Do you understand why I’m mad?”

“No! That’s – shit, that’s not what I’m saying at all!” Link inhaled sharply through his nose and turned his face away for a moment to feel the cool glass of the window on his forehead. “Can you try not talking to me like I’m five?”

“Pardon?”

“ _Do you understand why I’m mad?_ ” Link mimicked cruelly.

“I’m trying to speak to you _rationally._ ”

“You’re not very good at that, then. You’re being – ”

“You’re looking for a fight again. And I’m not playing that game. I’m not doing this right now. I’m dri – ”

“You’re totally missing the point, that’s what you’re doing.”

“ – I’m driving and I’m trying to look for this street sign. I can barely see.”

“I’m not the bad guy. I’m sittin’ here hurtin’ because I stood up for you, I was there when you needed me.”

“I didn’t need you to stand up for me and I told you so. You didn’t do it for me, anyway. You did it for _you_! You didn’t care that I told you to come sit down and forget about it, you didn’t care that I didn’t want to make a huge scene. In fact, you barely looked at me. You didn’t ask if I was okay, if I wanted your help, nothing. You acted like they were messing with your property, and that’s a little disrespectful to me.”

“Disrespectful – you can’t seriously – ” The words stuck in Link’s throat. He felt sick to his stomach. Some of what Rhett was saying was true and he knew it. Except – “I know you’re not my _property_ , what the heck – ”

“Then you know I’m a capable independent person who will _ask_ when I need help.”

Link bit his lip until it bled. “This is so stupid, Rhett!” he burst.

“I’m stupid?”

“No, don’t twist my words, that’s not what – ”

Rhett almost missed his exit and he cursed quietly as the car behind him honked at his last minute lane change. “I need to focus on my driving. Can we continue this at home after the movie? I can’t concentrate.”

“I don’t care!” Link wanted to tear his own hair out. “You’re angry at me for standing up for you and that’s freakin’ stupid!”

“Stop. Now.”

“You’re being an asshole!”

“Yeah, you know what?” Rhett turned sharply. “Screw the movie. We’re going home.”

It was rare for Rhett to be angry and rarer still for that rage to be directed at Link. But when Link looked at his partner’s face, he went cold all over and he suddenly felt very small. 

“Rhett, I – ”

“Please, just be quiet. We’ll deal with this later.” Rhett’s tone was blunt and final.

Link sank low in his seat and ducked his head until the neck of his cardigan obscured his trembling mouth. He stared out of the window and didn’t realize how close they were to home until the car turned off and Rhett got out without a word. He didn’t wait for Link to catch up and Link had to hurry to make it to the door just behind him. Stupidly, he wished for some dramatic movie moment where Rhett would turn to hug him tightly and whisper that he was sorry, that he loved him, that it would all be okay.

_Gosh, and we were having such a nice night. Why did this have to happen?_

Link hesitated in the kitchen as Rhett flung down his keys and marched ahead, determinedly not looking at him.

“Hey! Why’re you walkin’ away from me?” Link crossed his arms, knowing he was being silly and petulant and not caring. “Come here and let’s talk this out.”

Rhett stopped dead. “I was going to change out of my sweater. Do I need your permission now?”

Link felt stung. “What does that even mean?”

“It means you’re being controlling, and I don’t like it.”

“ _Controlling!_ ”

The big man turned around slowly. His eyes were shadowed deeply by his furrowed brow. “Yes. You often are, and you need to stop.”

 _Maybe he’s scared of you,_ the man had said, and Link knew that wasn’t so. But was Rhett really worried that Link was trying to boss him around? That was ridiculous! _Rhett should know better._ “I was just asking why you were walking away from me when we just said in the car that we were gonna talk things out! You’re makin’ up issues that don’t even exist and pretending to be upset!”

Rhett cursed and flung his sweater at the couch. “You know what, Link? I’m sick of the way you’re treating me. Stop acting like my feelings are invalid.”

“Oh, my God, you’re just being dramatic.”

“And there you go again. I’m not being dramatic, I’m being honest about how I feel, and not only do you not care, you don’t even believe me.” 

“Rhett…” Link took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “I do believe you, but you’re just saying these things because I pissed you off so much that you’re trying – ”

“Are you doing this on purpose? Now you’re explaining my thoughts for me.”

“Who’s interrupting who this time?”

“Oh, I just wanted to stop you before you said something stupid enough to make me have to kick you out for the night.”

Link felt like he’d been punched. His mouth opened and nothing came out. They never fought like this. Never. What was wrong with them? What was wrong with _him_?

“Are you done? I’m going to bed,” Rhett said shortly, his face still and carefully neutral. Link could tell how hard his jaw was clenched.

“I – but it’s so early,” Link replied hesitantly. 

Rhett refused to meet his eyes. “Gonna finish that book.”

“I thought we were gonna deal with this.”

“I don’t feel like dealing with you right now. You’re being unreasonable and it’s stressing me out. I want to relax and think on what I want to say. You should too.”

Rejection hurt worse than anything. He almost wished Rhett would just scream at him, get everything out of his system so they could put it all behind them. He wanted to plead, but what came out was: “Fine. I’ll sleep on the fucking couch.” It was childish to use such language when it wasn’t necessary, but Link didn’t care any more.

“Good.” Rhett’s face finally lost its forced calm and he met Link’s eyes challengingly. “Cool down and talk to me when you’re ready to act your damn age, okay?”

Link winced, dropped his eyes and stepped back. He’d expected Rhett to soften and say something like _Don’t be an idiot, I still want you beside me_ or _No, I wanna wake up in your arms_. And then the full weight of all the awful things he’d just said to his best friend hit him like a tsunami and his throat closed with choking shame.

Rhett turned for the stairs without another word, leaving him standing there, alone and miserable. Link wanted to chase him but restrained himself. Rhett didn’t want him. Rhett wanted to be alone. Self-loathing flooded Link from head to toe and he swallowed back a sob as he slowly sank onto the couch and closed his eyes.


	2. Chapter Two

On the couch in the living room, Link tossed and turned, cold one minute and hot the next. He tore off his cardigan in a wave of heat only to later clutch it like a blanket, shivering. Rhett’s couch had always been comfortable enough for him to doze off in during slower movies or after dinner, but tonight it felt like it was made of burlap stuffed with straw. Hours passed and still he couldn’t sleep. His jeans were too stiff and restrictive and there was a lump in one of the couch cushions and the decorative pillows were too poofy to be comfortable for his neck. 

Link grunted into the darkness, turned on his back and stared up at the ceiling as he evening’s events replayed in his mind over and over. The looks on the faces of the restaurant patrons as security held him by the arm like a common criminal. Rhett trying to calm everything down, paying off the restaurant manager and apologizing for him. Yelling at Rhett in the car – yelling at the man he was supposedly so concerned for. Calling his best friend an asshole and escalating their fight until he was on the verge of being literally kicked out. Never would he forget the look on Rhett’s face – that mix of anger, crushing disappointment, and exhaustion. 

Maybe he did have an anger problem. Maybe Rhett was getting fed up with his temper. Maybe Rhett would feel afraid to go out with Link in public or be seen with him on their channel. The thought hurt like a hot knife. Maybe Rhett would decide that their relationship wasn’t working and was planning to tell him over breakfast in the morning. That thought made him feel like screaming. 

If Rhett left him, he’d deserve it. _You barely looked at me….you didn’t ask if I was okay or if I needed help…_ Rhett had hit the nail on the head, hadn’t he? Link knew that he didn’t care about him or appreciate his partner as much as he should. When he’d seen what was happening, he didn’t bother going over to Rhett first to offer comfort. It hadn’t even crossed his mind even though Rhett was clearly distressed. Link’s first concern was starting a fight – making an ass out of himself and completely ruining their date.

 _Act your age,_ Rhett had said. He couldn’t do that. Screaming like a child, crying like a child, fighting in a family restaurant like some jackass…surely something must be wrong with him. Maybe the next day the Internet would explode with rumours and pictures from the night – exposing not just Link’s obvious anger issues, but his relationship with Rhett, which most people would assume to be infidelity. Maybe he’d wake up tomorrow and see half their subscribers gone and watch their business partners and employees quietly jump ship. Worst of all, he might wake up to find a bag with all the stuff he kept at Rhett’s tossed near the door with a simple, cold note - _Things aren’t working out, you should go home_ or _Maybe we should try just being friends again_. 

Link rolled to the side and pushed his face into the back of the couch with his eyes burning and prickling. He didn’t want to be a cry-baby on top of being a temperamental asshole. He didn’t want Rhett to hear him, didn’t want to wake the man up and piss him off all over again. 

Now that his adrenaline was gone, Link could better understand where Rhett was coming from. _You acted like they were messing with your property, and that’s a little disrespectful…_ Was he right again? Link remembered the explosion of anger in his gut when the man had laid hands on Rhett. Was it a possessive response, did he feel personally offended that someone had touched Rhett? Link searched himself for the answer.

 _No,_ he finally decided, _not entirely, at least. I just wasn’t thinking._ But that didn’t matter, did it? What mattered was how his actions had made Rhett feel. It wasn’t up to him to decide whether or not Rhett’s feelings should be hurt or whether his emotions were valid. The fact was that Link had been callous and insensitive to his partner in his time of need. 

He’d screwed up bad. Real bad.

At the time, it had seemed so logical to feel righteously angry, like he was some gallant prince galloping in on a magnificent steed to save the day. Looking back, remembering Rhett’s intended solution of quietly notifying security, Link felt foolish. Their night wouldn’t have been completely ruined if Link had just listened to what Rhett wanted. He could have soothed Rhett over that cheesecake and held his hand during the movie until they’d forgotten the unpleasant incident.

He’d never even attempted to talk to Rhett about how he felt. Never asked if he was scared, or angry, or just shocked. He’d never bothered to ask what the man had whispered to Rhett, with his lips close enough to brush the pink shell of Rhett’s ear. Link had offered no comfort. Not even a hug. He imagined the same scenario with the situations reversed – imagined some bulky, rowdy stranger grabbing him, touching him, maybe whispering a lewd suggestion as his friends cackled. Rhett would have been furious, sure, but he would have held Link’s hand and walked him back to the table, asking all sorts of questions, _Baby, are you alright? What did he say to you? What a jerk…would you like to just skip dessert and go to the movies? We’ll talk in the car on the way. Let me tell security about what happened to you. Here, come with me, I don’t want you sitting alone at the booth where they can see you._

_So why didn’t I do that for him?_

Link had no answer. Suddenly, he was inescapably lonely. He couldn’t stand lying on the couch while Rhett was upstairs, alone. Rhett shouldn’t be alone. Link should have been there for him earlier, but the best he could do was be there for him now.

_I have to see him. I don’t care if I have to get down on my knees and beg him to forgive me. This is torture._

Wearing just his t-shirt and underwear, Link swung his legs over the side of the couch. He got to his feet and moved carefully around the coffee table. The last thing he needed was another bruise. The room was black as tar and he didn’t even realize he’d made it to the staircase until his foot smashed into the bottom stair. Quickly, he smacked a hand over his mouth to avoid cursing out loud. _Should have grabbed your phone for a flashlight, dummy,_ he chastised himself as he ascended slowly, feeling ahead with his foot for every step. Link clutched the railing tightly. Nineteen stairs, wasn’t it? He counted each one, but nineteen didn’t seem right – _thirteen, fourteen_ – this must be near the landing already – 

Something changed; his brain sent a rush of warning through him and he inhaled sharply at the familiar and inescapable fear of the dark. Was that a creak? Was that him, or just the house settling? Was it behind him? Was that his heartbeat pounding so loud? Link hopped onto the landing and collided with something very big and warm. 

Twin yelps echoed through the dark house. 

“Ow!” Link cried out as a foot hit him in the shin. He swung his free arm out and smacked his hand into firm skin. Fear spiked in his heart and he gasped even as his brain made the logical and correct assumption that it was Rhett on the stairs. 

“Link?” the man hissed in the dark as if they weren’t alone in the house. “Oh crap, Link, you scared the heck outta me.”

“Jeeze.” Link breathed deeply and tried to slow his racing heart. “Yeah, me too.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah. You?”

“I’m fine. What’re you doing up?”

“I couldn’t sleep.” Link hesitated, thinking of how to possibly begin the apology Rhett deserved.

“Me neither.”

“What were you doing?” Link asked, stalling for time. “Did you want some water? I can get it if you want.”

A beat of silence. Then: “Look, I was coming down to get you.” The man’s voice wavered at first, but steadied. “I didn’t want to wake you up, but…”

Link felt a wave of dread. _Oh god, he changed his mind, he wants to kick me out._ “Get me? You mean…you want to talk about what happened now?”

“Not if you’re too tired. I wanted you to come upstairs and sleep in the bed.”

“You really want me there? After what I did?” Link’s mouth dropped open. 

“Gosh, of course I do.” Rhett fumbled for his shoulder and hugged him. “I forgot how much I hate sleeping alone. Why were you comin’ upstairs? Did you want a blanket? I should have brought one down.”

Link hugged back, his limbs weak with relief. Despite his excitement he couldn’t help the stab of guilt that pierced him. Rhett was so wonderful and warm and caring, even after their fight. He pressed his face between Rhett’s pecs and just breathed in for a long moment, savouring the man’s warmth and comforting scent. Finally, he pulled back to say, “I wanted to come sleep beside you. I wanted to hold you. I thought about what happened and I know now that I was being a fool. I’m so sorry for the way I talked to you. I’d do anything to make it up to you,” he added fervently.

Rhett cupped the back of Link’s head with a big hand. “Anything, huh? For a start, we can cuddle for a while.” Link couldn’t see the man’s face but knew he was almost smiling. “We both said some things that weren’t too smart,” he added diplomatically, stroking his fingers through Link’s thick black hair. “I’m not exactly proud of how I spoke to you either. Let’s get to a light, huh? Before we fall down the stairs.”

“Good idea.” They broke apart and Link listened for Rhett’s footsteps until he could tell the path ahead was clear. Still holding tight to the railing, he followed the taller man over the landing and around the corner, careful to avoid the small corner table with the big decorative Oriental vase. Rhett groped behind him until his hand found Link’s, and they navigated into the bedroom together safely.

The bed was still warm. It smelled like home and happiness. Link toed off his socks as Rhett turned on the small bedside lamp. The bearded man looked rumpled and worn, the bags under his eyes deeper than usual. He looked older than his years as he slowly climbed onto the bed and pulled the blanket over his long frame.

“I missed you so much,” Link told him as he snuggled down into place on his side of the bed. He slung one arm loosely over Rhett’s waist, aching to press their bodies flush together but unsure where the boundaries lay. Rhett could still be angry. He had a right to be. “I hate the way I handled myself today. I hate the way I talked to you. Rhett…baby, I’m so sorry. You were right. About everything.” 

The taller man’s face was a careful mask, but Link could tell he was struggling to keep it that way. “I missed you too. I…I don’t know why I made you sleep on the couch. That was stupid. And so was threatening to make you leave. I’m not gonna kick you out. I wouldn’t do that.”

“I was bein’ an idiot. And you needed some time alone. It’s understandable. Even if you’d kicked me out, it’d be understandable. It’s not like I don’t have a house to go to.” Link turned on his side, and Rhett immediately wriggled over so they could be face to face. Their noses brushed as Rhett moved in to kiss him softly. 

Link made a short pleased _mmm_ through his closed lips as he returned the kiss with vigor. Rhett still wanted him, still loved him, despite what he’d done. Obviously they had a lot of discussion ahead of them, but for now all he cared about was making sure Rhett knew just how much he was loved in return. He put his hand on Rhett’s back and stroked it in slow circles. When he felt Rhett sag into the touch, he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. 

There was wetness on Link’s face. Tears, but not his own. Shocked, he pulled his mouth away and looked wide-eyed into Rhett’s face. “Rhett, gosh, please don’t cry,” he managed. He didn’t even know what to say. His heart felt like it was tearing apart inside his chest. Rhett practically never cried in front of him. Link had seen him tear up at a sad movie, but he was grinning at himself at the same time and it wasn’t like this at all. Crying because of Link. “I’m sorry,” was all he could say helplessly, watching Rhett’s throat work as he swallowed a sob. _You called him an asshole,_ Link’s cruel brain reminded him. _This is the man you yelled at, swore at._ “Please, baby, don't be upset,” he said desperately. “Rhett, I’m sorry. I disrespected you and I caused a scene and I yelled at you and I don’t deserve you at all. I know. I know now. I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I swear. Please don’t cry.”

Rhett shook his head mutely and cupped Link’s chin in his enormous hand. “You have any idea how much it scares me to think about you getting yourself real hurt?” he asked, his voice choked with emotion. “I like that you’re so brave…but chargin’ headfirst into a fight with a stranger is just dumb, man. He – he was big. I know he wasn’t in the best shape or anything but he was freakin’ big-boned and maybe stronger than he looked. I know I’ve joked about that day years ago when you ran up to that big guy who knocked Christy down on the beach, but if I’m bein’ honest, I was scared then, too. I can’t stand thinking of you getting hurt.”

“Oh, Rhett,” Link said softly, reaching out to embrace the other man. “I know it was stupid of me, but you don’t have to be scared.”

“He swung at you. He was aiming for your temple, I think. Or your jaw. Maybe he wanted to knock you out. He could have really hurt you. He would have.” 

“I know.”

“I was scared.”

“Me, too.”

“Fuck, Link.” More tears shone in Rhett’s eyes and the bearded man blinked them away rapidly. The sight made Link feel sick. So did the curse word. Rhett didn’t curse much either. “What if he had a knife, or a gun, there’s shootings all the time now. People get killed over stuff like that all the time. What if his buddies came after you and – and – ”

“I’m not gonna get killed,” Link insisted softly. “I’m fine.”

“What if you did.” Rhett’s eyes went to the ceiling. “What if you got hurt bad, what the heck would I do with myself?”

“I won’t,” Link assured him helplessly, touching Rhett’s hair. “Don’t be the morbid one. That’s my job.”

Rhett had to smile. “I can’t help it.”

“I really should work on my temper,” Link admitted. “I promise, baby, I won’t do that in public ever again. I’m sorry.” He tucked an errant stand of blond hair behind Rhett’s ear. “And I’m really sorry for what I said in the car. Cursing at you and calling you names…that’s no way to treat the man I love.”

Rhett’s breath caught, and warmth blossomed over his handsome face. “I forgive you, Link. I know you were still acting a little off because of what happened. You were shaking with adrenaline.”

“I wasn’t thinking straight, but that’s still no excuse. I should have been more concerned about you.” Link hesitated and put a hand on Rhett’s shoulder. “Are you okay about what started all that? The guy harassing you? I should have asked right away. Gosh, I didn’t even ask what he said to you. I’m…” _a horrible friend_ , he was going to add, but he didn’t want Rhett to waste his time reassuring him. If he needed to talk, he was going to talk first, as he should have from the start. “Nevermind. Please tell me what happened?”

Rhett shook his head. “Well, I am still a bit shaken, not gonna lie. Not because they got to me, just that it was weird for that to happen on a weekday night in a decent place. You know? It’s not like we were in an alley at 2 AM where you think gross people like that ought to be. There were families with kids there, man. That’s why I froze when he touched me. I was just so shocked that anybody would actually do that.” He frowned as if he wasn’t explaining himself right. “From havin’ such a good time with you, somewhere I felt safe, and then boom…”

“You just don’t expect something like that to happen. You don’t really hear about it happening to men, but it does.”

Rhett seemed relieved that Link understood. “Well, especially with my height, too. I know people can be intimidated by my size sometimes. Maybe that’s why I haven’t had a lot of experiences with harassment.”

“What did he say to you?”

“Well…” Rhett looked at the mattress with his eyebrows furrowed, remembering. “At first he was just asking me what I did, what my name was, and then what I’d ordered here as if he wanted a recommendation on what to eat. I was in a good mood so I was being nice at first. There was something off about his face, though. He looked like he was making fun of me, kind of smirking like he was in on some joke, and it put me on guard.”

“And what about his buddies?”

“There were all looking at me out of the corners of their eyes. That gave off some warning signs too. Then the guy wanted me to have a beer with him, and I kept declining, but he just wouldn’t give up. So I told him that I was the designated driver, and he grinned and said that I could get a ride home with him if I didn’t mind ‘getting cozy in the backseat’ on the way. When I got pissed and told him I would rather walk home than ever accept a ride from him, his friend asked if I would like it better if I sat in the middle with him on one side and the main guy on the other.”

Link wrinkled his nose, and Rhett nodded. “Exactly how I felt.”

“So what did you say?”

“I told him that I was going to go sit back down with my boyfriend but he insisted on buying me a drink. He just wouldn’t take no for an answer. I tried to say it nicely, and eventually I tried to tell him exactly where he could shove his attitude. And then – well, I forget exactly what happened, but suddenly he was right in front of me, his hands on me and his face barely a foot from my mine. He was putting his hands under my shirt without any hesitation at all. My mind just blanked right out.”

“Do you remember what he said just after that, when he put his mouth right next to your ear?”

Rhett grimaced. “I didn’t catch all of it because his nasty wet booze breath was blowing into my ear. Something dirty, it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to say it out loud.”

“It does matter, but if you don’t want to go over it again, it’s okay.” Link suppressed a gag at the thought of the filthy man propositioning his partner like that. 

“Thanks, Link.” Rhett smiled warmly and squeezed Link’s shoulder. “I’d rather just ignore it. It’s like trolls commenting on our videos. If you let yourself actually think about it, the negativity just brings you down. It was rude and uncalled for – let’s keep it at that.”

Link kissed Rhett’s cheek. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. I don’t like that I made a scene but at the same time I hope he learned a lesson.”

“I think he did. Speaking of that – how is your shoulder where he hit you? And your chest?” Rhett looked suddenly anxious. “I meant to ask earlier, but – ”

“It’s okay. There’s no bruising yet, but you can see that the skin’s a little red. My ear felt funny for a while but it’s not bad. He didn’t hit me that hard.”

“You were lucky,” Rhett observed, sombre as Link pulled his T-shirt sleeve up to expose his shoulder and show Rhett the mark. The tall man promptly kissed it, so Link bared the faint redness on his chest too to receive another kiss. 

“You fixed ‘em,” Link said. “Nothing hurts anymore.” It was only partially a lie. Rhett’s lips did divert some blood from his brain to a place less concerned about some minor physical injuries.

“Yeah, right. If anything is sore in the morning I’m taking you to the doctor’s. Did he get you anywhere else?”

“Actually,” Link laughed, “the thing that’s hurtin’ me the most right now is my knuckle from where I bit it in the car.”

“Let me see?”

“Here.” Link offered Rhett the hand that had been in his hair. “See the index finger?”

“I see it.” Rhett looked right at him as he kissed the small cut. “Better?”

“Much better.”

“And your ear – ” Rhett propped himself up to be able to lean his neck forward far enough to kiss Link’s ear. “All fixed now?”

The feeling of Rhett’s breath on his neck gave Link pleasant tingles all up and down his legs and spine. “I think so.” His grin faded. He didn’t want to go over the whole situation again and ruin this fun, but things didn’t feel finished and he had to ask. “You don’t really think that I…think of you as my _property_ , right?”

Rhett’s smile faded and he pulled back to regard Link openly and honestly. “No. You don’t think that. You can be controlling, but you don’t mean it in a…in an abusive way or anything. You just have a way of trying to make everything exactly how you want it to be. It’s normally just a part of your personality and it’s not a problem. But, yeah…what you did…can you see why it might look that way?”

“Yes,” Link confessed, his cheeks burning with shame. “You’re right, I was angry at those guys on your behalf, but you didn’t ask me to fight your battles. It wasn’t that I thought they were messing with something that was ‘mine’, but I definitely acted like it.”

“I never wanted or needed an apology from that guy. I didn’t want you to have to wring one out of him – it wouldn’t have helped anything. I wanted to go sit down and vent about it over cheesecake with you. It freaked me out when he manhandled me like that in front of everyone. And that none of his friends seemed to care. I know he didn’t hurt me, but I felt pretty rattled. I wanted to get away, get him kicked out, and try to forget about the whole thing.”

Link winced. “I didn’t listen to you. I should have. I should have been there for you.”

“But I am glad you were pissed off,” Rhett made sure to break in. “Because you do care about me. I know you were just scared of me getting hurt, just like I felt about you. And if the situation was reversed, I know I’d be spitting mad if anyone did that to you.”

“I understand now,” Link admitted sheepishly. “I didn’t take you seriously. I just assumed you would be on my side because I thought I knew how you really felt. Even though I didn’t try to communicate. And that’s wrong and insulting. I need to work on that so this doesn’t happen again.” He hesitated, and then asked quietly, “Do you forgive me?” 

“Only if you forgive me too.”

“Gosh, Rhett, of course.”

Link pulled Rhett towards himself, tucking the man’s head into the curve of his neck and pressing his face into Rhett’s hair. When he breathed in he smelled faintly fruity hair product and a little bit of barbecue and charcoal from the night before when he’d grilled burgers for the kids, but underneath that it was all _Rhett_ , his lover, the sweetness of the man’s natural scent that filled him with desire. He lifted his hand to stroke Rhett’s hair, combing his fingers through and massaging the scalp. Rhett shuddered and pressed his soft lips to Link’s neck and Link felt the warmth go right down to his toes. He closed his eyes and savoured the feeling.

“Hey,” Rhett whispered, nibbling at Link’s earlobe. “Hey, why’re we in bed fully dressed?”

Link giggled. “I don’t know. You’re right, that’s weird.”

“It’ll be nice and warm if we’re both naked under the blanket.”

“Not gonna argue with that.” Link pulled away from the embrace to take off his grey shirt and boxers. He’d left his jeans on the couch downstairs with his cardigan. Rhett’s hooded eyes watched him, his lips slightly parted. Link grinned and clambered back on the bed. “Your turn,” he said. 

Rhett moved to stand up, but Link gently pulled him back down. “No,” he said. “Let me do it.”

Rhett swallowed. “Okay.”

Link undressed Rhett slowly, savouring the sight and feel of the man’s bare skin. It was impossible not to notice how quickly Rhett grew aroused from Link’s hands on him. The drawstring of his pyjama pants was already undone and all he had to do was hook his fingers under the waistband and pull downward. On the way, his thumbs stroked Rhett’s soft inner thighs, which spread invitingly at his touch. Link’s breath quickened to see Rhett wearing the plain white briefs that somehow turned him on so much. All of Rhett’s most intimate areas, all bundled neatly in that pure white fabric, waiting to be unwrapped. 

Rhett must have seen something in his face, because his lips parted and his thighs opened even wider. Link, not wanting to pressure Rhett into anything so soon after their awful argument, tested the waters. He ran his fingers along the top of the waistband of the tight briefs, then passed his hand across the front of them to feel if Rhett’s cock was stirring. It was, and at Link’s touch it swelled further in his palm. Link gave it a gentle squeeze.

Rhett inhaled deeply and let the breath out in a shudder. “Yes,” he croaked, and his voice broke the spell his bared body had cast over the smaller brunet.

“Are you…do you want to…” Link stopped himself to ask. “Is this movin’ too fast for you? If I take these off and touch you? I don’t want to push you. We don’t have to do anything.”

Rhett quickly shook his head. “I want to. I want _you._ ”

“I want you, too.” Link cupped a hand around the outline of Rhett’s balls, tracing a finger between until Rhett moaned. “I want to make you feel good.”

A small damp spot began to soak through the front of the briefs. Link touched it and Rhett moaned again, cheeks reddening. Link couldn’t bring himself to stop touching. He stroked his partner’s manhood slowly through the fabric, feeling its weight and hardness beneath his fingers, and then bent down low to nuzzle at it with his nose and lips. 

“What happened to takin’ them off?” Rhett grunted impatiently.

“Got distracted.” Link smiled and pulled the man’s underwear down to join his pyjama pants, a tangle of fabric around the man’s ankles. He toyed with the idea of leaving them there, slightly restraining Rhett’s movement, but remembering how the man’s thighs had opened so easily made him reconsider. He wanted to see Rhett spread wide for him, wanted to sit right between those long legs and enjoy the sights and sounds as he teased the man’s cock. Tonight was going to be about making Rhett feel appreciated. He worked Rhett’s feet out of the pants and underwear and took a moment to take in the view. His own cock was already stiff as a mast.

“You look so amazing,” Link said, his voice catching. Rhett’s chest hair was trimmed very short and his belly hair was gone altogether. The slightly darker hair lower down was growing back in, the stubble just past the prickly stage. Shaving made Rhett’s arousal appear even larger than it was. “You’re so beautiful. I’m so lucky to have you.”

“Shameless flattery. I need to figure out what I’m going to do with that stubble. It looks weird.” Rhett often became uncharacteristically self-conscious in the aftermath of something that shook him. He was already grinning at himself a bit as if to say _yeah, I know, I’m being silly and I can’t help it._

“I like it. Feels like velvet.” Link touched the fine, short hairs. “And it’s not flattery, it’s the truth. You – ” he kissed Rhett’s stomach – “are – ” he kissed the man’s chest as he moved upward – “perfect.” And with that he kissed Rhett firmly on the lips.

And he was. Rhett’s skin was golden in the soft light of the lamp, contrasting against the white sheets. He might have been blushing but it was difficult to tell. Link straightened up and put his hands on Rhett’s calves, feeling the fine hair there, sliding upwards to the smoother skin on the inside of the man’s strong thighs. Rhett moaned and his manhood twitched pleadingly as Link gently massaged the strong muscles. He had planned to move more slowly, but before he could think he was bending over to mouth wetly at the base of Rhett’s cock.

“Oh, gosh,” he heard Rhett exhale as he began to use his long flexible tongue to lick up Rhett’s length firmly. “You’re so good at this. That darn tongue of yours…” 

Link beamed with pride as he adorned the sticky-wet tip with kisses, and then wrapped his lips around the entire head to suck firmly. Listening to Rhett’s deep groans filled him with excitement. Breathing through his nose, Link bobbed his head slowly, taking in as much as his mouth could handle, not quite feeling up to pushing its length past the back of his throat. He used his hand to stroke the base of Rhett’s shaft instead, moving it in time with his lips.

“Yes, mmm, Link, yeah. Yeah, gosh, nice and wet, feels so good.” Rhett put a hand on the crown of Link’s head, encouraging the smaller man but not pushing him down. Link glanced up and gave Rhett his best sultry look before he pulled his lips off the shaft and sucked one of Rhett’s balls gently into his mouth. 

“Link!” Rhett gasped in genuine surprise as the smaller man’s tongue flicked back and forth

“Mmmm,” Link hummed, loving the taste and the smell and the feeling of all that bare skin beneath his sensitive lips and tongue. Rhett’s wordless mewling whine gave him another rush and encouraged him to take things further.

Link lapped his tongue across Rhett’s sack and then dipped his head lower, listening closely for the big man’s approval. Sometimes Rhett liked having other areas orally stimulated and sometimes he didn’t. Link could understand from first-hand experience; it was a deeply intimate feeling that made his legs go all wobbly and his brain go into overdrive, and it was best if the receiver was already in a bit of a submissive mood. When Rhett remained fully relaxed at the attention lavished along his perineum, Link tasted the man’s hole with a delicate lick.

“Yeah, yeah, do that, that’s – _unh_ – so good, Link,” Rhett almost shouted before his voice turned into a helpless moan. He grew louder as Link moved his head from side to side, dragging his open mouth and flat tongue against and all around the tight pink pucker. Rhett let out a cry of pure need and Link took a deep breath before wiggling his tongue against the ring of muscle to try and push his way inside. 

“Oh God,” Rhett’s voice cracked and he lifted his hips higher, exposing more of himself in encouragement. Despite the relative rarity of Rhett receiving anal play, it was far from their first time doing this – but nothing could have prepared Link for the feeling of Rhett working himself down onto Link’s flexed tongue. It was difficult to keep himself immersed in the act and not just flip Rhett over and sink his cock in deep. Link thrust his tongue in and out to hear Rhett’s wild, uninhibited groans. Nothing gave him more pleasure than to know how good he was making Rhett feel.

Eventually, Rhett wanted more. “Link, Link, oh, yeah. Ohhh yeah, I love this, please. Please, more, can you…” His legs opened a little wider, a wordless question that Link instantly understood.

There was a pump-bottle of lube stashed in the dresser. Link gave Rhett’s cock a quick kiss before wriggling backwards off the bed to retrieve it. When he climbed back into position, he grinned at Rhett and held the bottle up at him. 

“Yes, good, that’s what I wanted,” Rhett groaned, watching Link slick his fingers. “Yes, please, please.”

It was tempting to make the bearded man beg a little more, but Link was too impatient himself to waste time teasing. The smaller man resumed his earlier position and carefully rubbed his fingers just at Rhett’s entrance as he slid his mouth back over the man’s prick. Rhett’s hole fluttered against the slick brush of Link’s index finger and Link took it as a sign to begin pressing the digit inside as slowly as he could. As always, he took care to avoid moving too quickly when it came to penetrating his partner. Rhett liked bottoming but Link was usually on the receiving end. While Rhett also liked a little pain, he was sensitive to being stretched too fast. Link kept his finger buried deep but held it still and focused on sucking Rhett’s cock.

“Don’t stop,” Rhett ordered weakly as his head lolled back onto the pillow. His tight passage squeezed Link’s finger. 

“Mmhmmm,” Link hummed in agreement, pressing his tongue up against the sensitive underside to listen to Rhett’s gasp of pleasure. He knew what it was like, how soft and wet and good it felt to finally be penetrated after the light teasing touch of lips and tongue down there. 

“Can you…give me another finger?” Rhett asked almost hesitantly. Link was surprised but pleased, and stroked Rhett’s hip lovingly with his left hand while he angled his middle finger in alongside the first and listened carefully for any signs of pain or discomfort in the man’s continuous moans. Link felt as though he was being given something he wasn’t good enough to deserve. Rhett’s body was incredibly hot, gripping Link’s fingers like a vice, a promise of how tight he’d be around Link’s cock.

Rhett’s voice was intoxicating as he kept up a steady litany of groans and mingled words. “Oh, god, mmmmh, Link, yeah, more, like that, you can move ‘em, just like that,” he sighed in pleasure as Link twisted and rocked his hand gently. Soon he found the small bump of Rhett’s prostate. Patting the pads of his fingers along that special spot produced the most wonderful noises from deep within Rhett’s throat. The notion of Rhett being so trusting and vulnerable, only for him, gave Link a powerful mental rush.

Link had to pull his mouth off to speak. “I want you so bad, Rhett,” he told the man in a thick ragged voice. He wiggled his fingers and watched Rhett’s mouth drop open. “Do you want me inside you or d’you want me to finish you like this? I could keep goin’, all night, just teasin’ and milking your prostate…”

“You,” Rhett groaned immediately. “I want you in me.”

Link felt a rush of excitement. “Let me get you a little more worked up and ready for it, baby,” he murmured in a smooth low voice, kissing Rhett’s inner thigh.

“I’m…I think I’m too close already. I’m good to go, if you want.”

“Are you sure?” Link wiggled his fingers again, feeling how relaxed Rhett’s ass was. He couldn’t resist playing with Rhett’s manhood a little more, licking away the droplet of moisture and flicking his tongue over the slit until Rhett’s hands were in his hair, pushing him away.

“You – gosh, you want this to end already or what?” Rhett half-gasped, half-laughed.

“You taste so good, I can’t help myself.”

Rhett tugged at his shoulder. “Come on, I want to come with your big cock inside me,” he breathed, his voice exaggeratedly seductive. “You want that, don’t you?” He smirked at the effect his words had on Link.

The smaller man was overwhelmed at the wave of heat that spread through his body. “Gosh, I love it when you talk like that.” Link looked down to watch his hand as he pulled his fingers free of Rhett’s passage. The empty hole fluttered, rosy pink and shiny with lube, irresistible. “Dang,” Link groaned. 

Rhett moved in sync with him, drawing his knees up and widening his thighs. Link easily grasped his legs and settled between them, struck dumb by the raw need in Rhett’s adoring gaze. Before he could think, Rhett reached a hand down awkwardly between his legs to firmly grasp Link’s dick and guide it to his entrance. Rather than let Link take over from there, Rhett slipped the man’s cock back and forth across his slick asshole until Link swore out loud, overcome. 

Finally, Rhett nestled him in just the right place and pulled his arm away. His hands settled on Link’s shoulders as he waited for the other man to push in, eyes sparkling with anticipation. 

“Yeah?” Link moved his hips forward carefully. Rhett’s hole resisted the pressure at first, but when Link began to slip inside slowly, the taller man’s body gave way and accepted the intrusion. Rhett’s short nails dug into Link’s hips for half a second as his face scrunched at the initial burn. Link forced himself to be still. As difficult as it was to go slowly and as much as he longed to push inside him hard, he would never, ever hurt Rhett. 

The guilt that had been eating at him while he shivered downstairs on the couch swelled up again. Link _had_ hurt him – not physically, but he had still hurt his best friend out of anger – and disrespected him, too. He had to make this good. Rhett deserved it.

“Are you okay?” he asked Rhett, trying to keep his voice steady.

“It’s…yeah, I’m good, it’s just been a while,” Rhett gasped, lifting his legs higher. 

“I know.” Link wanted to lean down for a kiss, but couldn’t without entering Rhett further. “You look so beautiful, Rhett,” he told the man instead, stroking his smooth stomach and cupping his hands over his hipbones. “I love you.” Rhett’s tense breaths made his chest rise and fall in quick little jerks. As Link continued to murmur and reassure his partner, Rhett’s breathing evened out and his creased forehead smoothed.

“I’m ready for more,” he murmured. 

Link groaned and leaned forward as he pushed his sizeable cock the rest of the way inside inch by inch. It was heaven, it was bliss, all slick and tight wrapped around his manhood. Rhett gasped and let his head fall back against his pillow. His big hands clutched weakly at Link’s hips, but when Link pulled back and gave a shallow thrust, Rhett seemed to go boneless. He let his arms fall limply to his sides and just _took_ it, his face slack and submissive. Link watched his reactions as he rocked in and out.

“Is it good?” Link murmured.

“Oh, yeah,” Rhett groaned, sounding like a man in a dream. Link moved his hips a little faster, making sure there was enough lube to make the slide easy. The man beneath him whimpered plaintively and looked up at Link with such admiration that the smaller man’s chest went tight. Sometimes he could hardly believe that this vision of masculine beauty was willing to be with Link in this way. Rhett was practically a god. Deserving of worship. Link ran his hands down Rhett’s ribs, touched both nipples, and then continued down to stroke Rhett’s manhood in time with his thrusts.

Rhett made another pleading sound tried to get his legs up even higher. _He wants it deeper,_ Link knew, and helped by grabbing one of Rhett’s ankles and hoisting it up onto his shoulder. The position partially bent Rhett in half without restricting Link’s view of and access to Rhett’s enormous erection. The brunet moved his hips in small circles, his dick completely sheathed inside the taller man. “Is this what you wanted?” 

“Yes, that’s perfect, Link. Feels amazing,” Rhett choked out, and Link kissed him messily. Rhett’s tongue worked its way deep into his mouth as if trying to taste himself, and Link managed to catch that small tongue between his lips to suck on it lightly. When he released it Rhett returned the favour by suckling at Link’s full lower lip. Panting for air, Link lifted his head and stared down at Rhett’s reddened, swollen lips and felt a wave of primal hunger that had him wanting more.

 _Remember, it’s all about him._ “You like it slow and deep like this?” he asked Rhett. “Or do you want it a little harder? It’s all about you, baby, tell me what you want.”

“Harder. I want it harder,” Rhett’s head lolled helplessly on the pillow as his eyes burned into Link’s own. “Give it to me.”

Link straightened up again, adjusted the leg slung over his shoulder, and thrust inside with more force. Rhett’s body rocked up on the bed and the headboard thunked against the wall. The noise was swallowed by Rhett’s cry.

“Like that?” Link grinned when Rhett nodded. “Keep making noise for me, baby, I love hearing your voice. Talk to me.”

Rhett’s words were halted. “You feel – ohhhh – so _right_ inside. In me,” He craned his neck and looked down to watch Link’s manhood each time it pulled out. “Feels like you – unh – belong there. So big and hard. So good.”

“Yeah, you love it in the ass, don’t you?” Link flushed, because that sounded like a dumb porn star sentence, but Rhett seemed to like it. 

“I love it,” the big man answered without hesitation. “I love your cock.”

Link was breathing hard now. He adjusted his angle slightly, watching Rhett’s face change with every thrust, waiting to find the place that would make Rhett feel the most pleasure. It was more difficult to find with his cock than with his fingers. Rhett’s words failed him when Link finally brushed up against his prostate and his moans became increasingly louder. 

“Right there, huh?” Link grunted. “That’s where you want it?”

“Yes,” Rhett practically yelled back, and that was the last coherent word Link could get out of him. Link thrust home again and again until Rhett’s eyes rolled back in his head and his balls drew tighter up against his body. The slightest movement made him moan.

Link felt the same way. Overcome with the wonderful sensations, it was all he could do to keep Rhett’s leg up in the air. Rhett was so open, so relaxed. Link’s thrusts were smooth and easy, even when he increased the pace so that he was fucking Rhett in earnest now. Watching his cock disappear into Rhett’s body over and over again, all the way in and almost all the way out, was one of the best things he’d ever seen. He eyed Rhett’s cock, bouncing against his smooth belly to the rhythm of his thrusts. Before he could figure out how to keep the same rhythm while stroking Rhett to orgasm, Rhett’s eyes shot open and he gasped.

“Link, I’m, I’m – ” Rhett’s eyes widened almost comically. “I really think I’m gonna – oh - _oh_ gosh, yes, Link – !” 

And with that, to both his and Link’s surprise, Rhett’s manhood spasmed and spilled its seed all over his own chest and up onto Link’s stomach as the man’s deep baritone voice rose up in high breathy groans of uninhibited pleasure. 

Link was round-eyed with awe. Rhett was usually able to get himself almost to the edge with just Link’s cock inside of him, but never had he actually come without being touched. From the shock on Rhett’s sweaty face, Link could see that it had been unexpected for him too. The big man whimpered and writhed, ass clenching around Link’s length as the last weak spurts dripped down his glistening shaft.

“Wow, Rhett!” Link slowed his thrusts to bend over for a gentle kiss. “Wow. Coming all over yourself just from havin’ me inside you…” There were no words to express the excitement and pride that he felt.

“I can’t believe it. That was so good,” Rhett panted after he recovered. “I always love when I make you do that. Now I know what it feels like on your end. Your turn, come on now, I want to feel it.”

“You want me to slow down?” Link knew that Rhett would be oversensitive after his climax.

But the man shook his head. “I want to watch you lose control for me,” he breathed.

“Tell me if this is too much,” Link warned, and waited for Rhett’s nod before he grabbed onto the man’s legs and allowed himself to take the pleasure he wanted. He was close, very close, and his rhythm was erratic. He might have been worried that he was hurting his lover, but Rhett only worked his hips in tandem, eyes locked on Link’s face. 

Their combined efforts brought Link to orgasm in less than a minute. When he cried out Rhett’s name and began to come, Rhett locked his ankles around Link’s waist and pulled him in deep, whispering the filthiest things Link had ever heard him say.

“Yeah, fill me up,” he heard Rhett tell him, his voice raw and overused, and Link’s mouth opened into an O as he emptied himself deep inside of Rhett’s ass. When he was done, his body failed him and he collapsed on top of Rhett, his bare skin sliding along the taller man’s come-splattered belly. He could feel all his seed in Rhett’s passage, sliding warmly down his shaft to trickle out. He wanted to see but couldn’t bring himself to move.

“I love you,” he whispered into Rhett’s ear, clumsily pressing a kiss into his hair. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Link.” Rhett wrapped his arms around Link’s lower back. He didn’t seem to care that Link’s entire weight was resting on his torso, or that his softening cock was still pushed deep inside of him. The two men enjoyed the intimacy of the moment as they both recovered from their orgasms.

Eventually, the feeling of the sweat pooling in all his crevices and the dampness of their bellies prompted Link to get up. He moved slowly and managed to withdraw himself, then tumbled face-first into the cool sheets beside Rhett. The blond grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him on his side, facing away from him, and wrapped his long arm and one leg around Link’s body. Link snuggled in happily as the high wore off and his heart slowed to a reasonable pace. The air was redolent with sex. Link’s painted belly was drying tacky like Elmer’s glue.

“Wow, that was exhausting,” Rhett sighed. “We’re probably gonna sleep in late again.”

“Yeah, I’m tired too. But I should get up and get a wash cloth,” Link wrinkled his nose. “I must smell gross.”

“You’re fine. Just don’t lift your arms up.”

“Oh, hah, you’re so funny, Mr. Garlic Breath.” Link ducked his head to sniff under one arm. “I guess it’s not that bad, but we should still clean up.”

“Garlic breath? Nuh-uh, that’s all you, babe.”

“I should brush my teeth then.” Link laughed and made to get up, but Rhett’s limbs locked around him and Link couldn’t move. He squirmed until Rhett grumbled and held tighter. 

“You’re not goin’ anywhere,” he said firmly. “Sleep.”

“You’re gonna make a wet spot.” Link flushed a little to think of his seed leaking slowly from Rhett.

“Sheets need to be washed anyway.” Rhett tucked his face into the nape of Link’s neck. “We’ll get up and start a load of laundry, then jump in the shower and then get cleaned up. Maybe go another round…”

Link hummed happily. “Wanna do it the other way around?”

“Not if you can make me come again like you just did,” Rhett smiled, almost shyly.

“I’ll try my best. That was so hot, Rhett!”

“It was one of the most intense feelings I’ve ever had,” the big man confessed.

“Now you know why I love that big curved G-spot massager toy you got me.”

“Maybe you should let me try that one out,” Rhett grinned, and then yawned loudly. “But first, maybe we can go out for lunch and catch an earlier movie tomorrow.”

“A do over of our failed date tonight?”

“Yeah. Sound good?”

Link nodded enthusiastically. “I’m glad you’re giving me a second chance to get it right.”

Rhett stroked the back of Link’s neck with a finger, tracing little patterns. Letters, maybe. “Everyone makes mistakes. We always work things out.”

Link arched into the touch as he felt Rhett draw a heart. His mind was already whirling with plans. “I promise to be on my best behaviour. I’m gonna show you how you deserve to be treated. How much you mean to me and how special you are.”

Rhett held him tighter. “That sounds amazing. I can’t wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everybody for your kind comments and all the kudos. I can't express how much I appreciate hearing feedback!


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